


The Taste of Licorice

by orpheusheart



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Retellings, Gen, M/M, Red Riding Hood Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-03-14 16:14:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13593744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orpheusheart/pseuds/orpheusheart
Summary: This is a tale of a young boy with a scarlet hood and a scarred wolf with no hope. Of how they met, their differing circumstances, and the bond they formed.A Lycoris no Mori retelling, storybook format.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was conceived before the release of the official cd, so do forgive if it does not follow the drama cd. Thank you and I hope you will enjoy this!

A long time ago, in a place far, far away, there lived a young boy who grew up in a small village surrounded by the Woods. No one knew who his real name was, for he was orphaned at a very young, delicate age, but his foster brother Graham called him _Blood_ , after his crimson hair and eyes, and thus the name stuck.

Now Blood was a very amiable young boy, born when harsh winter gave way to warm spring. He liked the villagers, but he loved the Woods more. Graham had tried to warn him from playing in the Woods too often, but the young boy merely laughed it off. "The Woods is my garden, big brother Graham!" he had exclaimed once, when he was but a child of seven summers. "The animals won't harm me!"

"Sure they won't, but I'm more worried about the Hunters," Graham had replied, which made Blood curious. "They're always looking for new trainees to act as bait..."

"The Hunters?" Blood had never heard of them. "Are they bad people, Graham?"

Graham had shrugged. "They're not bad, persay. They're just... enemies of the Woods, if you put it that way. Alwin isn't fond of them. He needs the Woods to practice his craft."

Alwin was Blood's and Graham's close friend, a practitioner of magic who lived in a small cottage in the middle of the Woods, away from the village. Blood and Graham often visited him when Blood was younger, bringing him food in exchange for medicine they could use. It was both Alwin and Graham who gifted Blood with a scarlet hood, right after Blood's tenth summer.

It was unfortunate when Graham fell ill as Blood grew older. It was also around his fifteenth summer when Blood was introduced to Victor by a friend of Graham's. Victor was tall, gallant and strong; he was everything Graham was not, and Blood was not so pleased when Victor tried to persuade him to call him 'big brother.'

"Graham is _my big brother_ , not you," Blood had grumbled at Victor once, tugging his hood tighter around his head when the elder had tried to ruffle his hair teasingly. "You're just a stranger who happened to be Graham's friend's friend."

"Ah, but a friend's friend is also a friend, don't you think?" Victor had replied, smirking as he nudged Blood by the shoulder. "Besides, poor Graham is bedridden, don't you think you need someone to protect you from the Woods?"

"I don't need protection from the Woods!" Blood had all but yelled at Victor, crossing his arms defiantly. "The Woods is not the enemy. The Woods is my garden, and no harm will come to those who respect the Woods." He left in a flurry of red, running out of the village into the Woods.

Alas, in his fit of anger, Blood took a wrong turn and he strayed off the path leading to Alwin's cottage, bringing him deeper into the Woods.

* * *

_"Is he gonna die?"_  
_"Shhh!"_  
_"Ehh, but-"_  
_"Shhhh!!!"_  


* * *

... _Ahem._ Now, in the Woods there lived a Wolf, Randolph was his name. His fur was as dark as the midnight sky, his left eye glowed an eerie yellow, while his right eye was a dull blue, blinded by the scar across his elegant face.

* * *

_"Was he a pretty Wolf, Mama?"_  
_"I suppose you could say that."_  
_"Pretty like Mama?"_  
_"... perhaps."_  


* * *

Blood stumbled upon Randolph as he ran blindly, tripping over a stray root and falling face first onto the ground a couple of steps away from the Wolf. Startled by the boy's appearance, Randolph raised his hackles and growled. "Who are you?"

Tears glimmered in Blood's crimson eyes, as he lifted his face and scrubbed at it messily. "Blood. My name is Blood..." he mumbled, sitting up with a wince. He tried to move, and cried out when pain shot up his left leg. "I... I think I sprained my ankle..."

Randolph was wary, but he could not leave the boy injured and alone in the Woods. "Let me have a look." He approached Blood carefully, one paw gently pressing along his leg until he winced again. The boy smelled familiar, and he sniffed delicately at Blood's neck, making sure not to spook him. "It is a light sprain. It will heal within a few days, but it would be better if I take you back to the village with the humans-"

"No! Not the village please!" Blood pleaded with the Wolf, tears finally streaming down his cheeks. "A-Alwin's cottage... Take me there please?"

The request confirmed Randolph's suspicions; Blood was a Beloved of the Woods, protected by the enchanted hood weaved with Alwin's magic and dyed with the red spider lilies that bloomed mysteriously all year round. With a nod, he carefully picked the boy up. "Hold on tight."

Randolph ran silently through the Woods, taking care not to jostle the boy in his arms. It did not take him long to arrive at the magician's cottage, and he knocked on the door before setting Blood down. "Do not get lost in the Woods again, young Blood."

"Uhm, can I get your name?"

"... Randolph. Do not look for me."

"W-wait-"

Before Blood could stop him, Randolph disappeared into the Woods, just as Alwin answered the door. His heart thudded restlessly in his chest, and Blood was sure it was not from the journey. What was this feeling...?


	2. Chapter 2

Randolph was constantly on Blood's mind, so much so that Graham had to fake his coughs just to get his younger brother to pay attention to him instead. "What's gotten into you, Blood?" he asked one fine day, as Blood sighed for the umpteenth time while he tended to his cooking. "You've been out of it for a few days now, and I don't think I can take any more of your over-spiced food, yanno."

"A-ah?!" Blood smiled sheepishly as he shook his head, making sure his pot of ingredients was alright before he set it to boil. He took a seat on a chair beside his brother's bed, tugging nervously at the hem of his red cloak. "Graham... have you, uhm... ever had that feeling where your heart starts thumping quickly, and you don't know why?"

"I've had my heart thumping quickly whenever you run off to the Woods when you were younger," Graham joked, then reached out to squeeze Blood's hand. "Did something happen when I wasn't around?"

"Uhm... I met this Wolf in the Woods a few days ago," Blood quietly said, feeling his heart beating faster just at the mere thought of Randolph. "He, well, he saved me when I fell and sprained my ankle-"

"You sprained your ankle?!" Graham exclaimed, grabbing Blood by the shoulders. "When was that? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Alwin took care of it for me!" Blood held up his hands in surrender, eyes wide and blinking. "It was only a light sprain, Randolph said so, and Alwin-"

Graham narrowed his eyes. "Who's Randolph?"

"Uhm, a Wolf..." Blood shook his head and patted his cheeks, trying to stop them from burning up. "He was the one who saved me that day! He took me to Alwin's cottage when I asked him to, and he's the one making my heart go thump-thump!"

Graham did not like the sound of that. "Blood, I ask this of you as your older brother - don't look for the Wolf whatever you do." His grip on Blood's shoulders tightened. "It would only mean trouble."

"But Graham-"

"No buts." Graham smiled pleadingly, shifting to cup Blood's cheeks tenderly. "Would you listen to your dear older brother for once?"

Blood nodded after a while. "Okay."

* * *

_"But will Blood ever see Randolph again?"_   
_"We shall see."_   



	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wolf!Tokiya napping was inspired by Koto-wari’s art [here](https://twitter.com/kotowari16/status/965042198243880960)! the feels are all there wwww

Blood was running errands for Graham when he ran into Randolph again, quite literally. The basket full of sweetmeats and apples tumbled out from his arms as he tripped over what he thought was a stray branch; it turned out that it was Randolph's leg that he tripped over, as the Wolf napped by the path in a spot where sunlight filtered through the leaves, leaving dappled sunlight on Randolph's fur, flickering like diamonds.

* * *

_"Oh oh, it's just like Papa's song!"_  
_"Your daddy has a song like that?"_  
_"Yup!"_  
_"...Children, may I continue the story?"_  
_"...Sorry, Mama."_  


* * *

Randolph immediately awoken and leapt backwards, hackles raised and fangs glinting. It was only when he realised who it was who woke him up rather unceremoniously that he lowered his defences a little and sat back cautiously. "... Blood."

Blood perked up at his name, a bright grin spreading across his face as pink coloured his cheeks. "Randolph! Sorry, I didn't see you there. Are you okay?"

The Wolf sniffed and looked away. "I'm fine." He caught the scent of the sweetmeats and tilted his head curiously. "... where are you going in such a rush?"

"Oh, my brother's sick, so I'm helping him deliver some stuff whenever I can," Blood explained, frowning a little as he gathered the apples and sweetmeats that fell out of his basket. He also checked the bottle of wine nestled against the side of the basket, making sure it was still intact. Once everything was accounted for, he sighed and turned back to Randolph. "Isn't it a little dangerous to be sleeping like this, Randolph?"

"Isn't it a little dangerous for you to be running without watching where you're going?" Randolph snarked back, his large wolf ears flattening against his skull. "Even if I wasn't there, you're going to trip and fall over something else that isn't me."

The redhead pouted and tugged his hood lower, trying to cover his face that he knew was bright red from embarrassment. "I know where I'm going," he mumbled, pulling the basket close to him. "... sorry for disturbing your nap, though. Is your leg ok? I am kinda heavy..."

The corner of Randolph's lips tugged upwards slightly, and he carefully approached the young man clad in red. "It's nothing compared to this." He pointed to the scar marring his face, and Blood gasped when he realised his mistake.

"Oh, I'm really sorry, Randolph!" Blood apologised, one hand instinctively reaching out to soothe away the hurt. Randolph tensed up as the young man touched his face, tracing the scar lightly across the bridge of his nose upwards, then those same fingers found their way up and scratched behind his ears. "You are still handsome even with the scar, Randolph. It makes you look cool."

The Wolf closed his eyes and leaned in for more ear scratches. Blood was quite good with his fingers, Randolph had to admit, the young man finding his weak spots easily. Blood ended up with a lapful of Randolph murring in bliss from the ear scratches, tail thumping lazily against the ground, and he had to stifle his laughter at how cute the Wolf looked despite his gruff exterior.

The two spent a long while in comfortable silence, Randolph napping on Blood's lap while the latter combed through his fur and marvelling at how silky it felt despite looking rough and shaggy. It was only when the sun started to set and the sky turned red that Blood realised he had forgotten about his errands. 

"A-ah...!"

His little gasp woke Randolph up, and his ear twitched before he looked up at Blood sleepily. "What's wrong, Blood?"

"... I forgot about my errands... Graham will be so angry..."

The Wolf sighed, pushing himself up and off Blood's lap. "Go now, before he finds out. The sun is still visible, and the moon has yet to rise."

Blood nodded and stood up, dusting his clothes off. He picked up the basket, and gave Randolph one last scratch behind the ears. "I know you told me not to look for you, and even Graham said so, but... if, perchance we bump into each other like this..."

"The next full moon, by the small creek where the red spider lilies bloom in abundance," Randolph quickly murmured into Blood's ear, followed by a snuff as he nosed against the red hood. "Bring something to eat, and do not let anyone know about this."

The young man felt his heart thump harder against his chest hearing Randolph's whispery voice so close to him, his face matching his hair and hood. "A-ah, okay..."

With that, Randolph nodded, then quickly ran off into the Woods, silent as an owl's wingbeat. Blood sighed and rubbed his cheeks, hoping that the redness will go down before he returned to Graham. It was not looking for the Wolf if he told him where he would be, right?

With that thought in mind, Blood set off to complete his errands, coming back to quite an earful from his brother during supper. The young man endured it, holding on to the promise he made with Randolph. It was alright, Blood would definitely meet him again.


	4. Chapter 4

As the night of the next full moon drew nearer, Blood could not contain his excitement and nervousness. Even as he burned off that energy running all of Graham's and Alwin's errands, it still showed in his face - the redness of his cheeks, and the bright sparkle in his eyes. Graham poked him a couple of times trying to get him to spill, but this was one secret Blood refused to share with his brother. In the end, Graham gave up and left Blood to his own devices, which the younger man was grateful for.

Blood watched the moon every evening, taking note of each phase every night. Alwin had taught him when he was younger how to tell each phase, and as the moon grew fuller, Blood took to sneaking out of their home to visit the creek, hoping to catch Randolph there.

Just as Randolph promised, he was there on the night when the moon was at its brightest and fullest, the moonlight illuminating his fur much like the sun did during the day. Blood grinned and ran towards the Wolf at full speed, knocking him over as they tumbled onto the ground in a heap of red and black.

"Blood, what-"

"I missed you, Randolph." Blood buried his face against the Wolf's neck and hugged him tight, his smile as bright as the moon that night. "I couldn't stop thinking of you. My heart kept thumping so hard, I was afraid it might jump out of my throat if I wasn't careful..."

Randolph scoffed, reluctantly returning the hug. "That is a silly thing to say," he muttered as he gently pushed himself up after a while, Blood still on his lap. "...have you brought food?"

The young man nodded and went to retrieve the basket that he left behind a few feet away from where they were. "I don't really know what Wolves eat but I got some nice cuts from the butcher's," he began, taking out three bundles wrapped in cloth and laying them out on the grass. "It's a little spiced to keep it from going bad quickly, but I've got veal, game fowl and beef with me. I boiled some hen eggs too!"

The Wolf sniffed at the meats curiously, then picked up a sizeable cut of veal and took a bite. "Mm."

"Is it okay for you, Randolph?"

"It is alright."

Blood could not stop grinning as he watched the Wolf delicately polish off the various cuts of spiced meats and the hen eggs, himself getting fed occasionally when Randolph offered some of the smaller pieces. His heart thumped loudly, the beat echoing in his ears, and there was a strange feeling stirring in his gut which he ignored in the meanwhile.

Randolph licked his chops when he was done and moved closer to Blood. "Thank you for the meal, Blood," he murmured, nuzzling the young man's neck. "That will last me until the next full moon."

Eyes widening, Blood stared incredulously at Randolph. "But do you not eat every day?"

"I only eat to survive, unlike you humans who eat for pleasure."

The young man shook his head. "No, this won't do. Lemme feed you once every few days at the very least!"

The Wolf raised an eyebrow in return. "And how do you propose to do that?"

"Uhm, I could bring you meats like what I did tonight," Blood started to ramble, listing out the various ways he could provide for Randolph, which only made the latter chuckle.

"I was merely teasing you, Blood. I do eat every day, just not this amount in one sitting."

"O-oh, was it too much for you then?"

Randolph shook his head, a slow smile tugging at his lips. "It was the right amount for me to get my belly filled up completely. Thank you again, Blood."

Hearing Randolph's beautiful voice and having him staring so closely, not to mention teasing him about the food, made Blood flustered and he turned away, his cheeks burning red. "Y-you're welcome, Randolph," he mumbled, tugging his hood lower to cover his face.

"Why are you suddenly so shy?" Randolph teased the young man more, leaning even closer and pushing him onto the ground. The red spider lilies danced around them as a gentle breeze blew in from the creek. "What happened to the energetic boy earlier?"

"I- I, uhm..." Blood gulped. The stirring in his gut turned into butterflies, and the heat from his face had spread towards his-

* * *

_*book slams shut* "Alright children, time for bed."_  
_"Awwwwwwww!!"_

_"But we wanna know what's gonna happen!"_

_"Is Randolph gonna eat Blood up?"_

_"Randolph can't eat Blood up if Blood already fed him!"_

_"But the wolf always ends up eating the little red riding hood!"_

_*cough* "Now children... let's take it as Randolph and Blood had a... very interesting conversation throughout the night."_

_"Did they talk about meat?"_

_"... I believe they did."_  
_"Mama you didn't even look at the book."_  
_"I read through it a few times to know what happens next, my dear."_  
_"... okay."_  
_"I will continue this story tomorrow, now time for bed, it's already late."_  
_"Okayyyy~"_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, the children are spared the rated scene in the story. XD;;


End file.
